Lay Lady, Lay
by Miss Snooze
Summary: Ramble On Rorydave oneshot: Dave was in what he considered a very peculiar situation. Flying back to his hometown to attend his exgirlfriends wedding to his best friend, and even being in the place of best man, seemed too farfetched.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill… I don't own Gilmore Girls, yada, yada, yada…

**AN:** Okay, amazing, I finally finished something… To all those of you who still read my long fics, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated for like… forever, but I've been really busy with Uni and all the good ideas have been shying me as if I was, well dogst… Should I get the time, and a good idea, I promise that I'll continue…

**Lay Lady, Lay **

_How to be blue two days before a wedding… _

Dave was in what he considered a very peculiar situation. Flying back to his hometown to attend his ex-girlfriends wedding to his best friend, and even being in the place of best man, seemed too far-fetched. They hadn't spoken for years, but when he came home for his mother's funeral three years ago he had run into Zach, they had reconnected, and since then they had kept in touch. And now, he was flying home to attend their wedding. It was like a dream, not a good one but not a bad one either. Truthfully he didn't really care. He was just glad that they was happy together, and a bit jealous, but only because of the seemingly inescapable loneliness that he had suffered from the last couple of years.

He drowned the last of his scotch and sighed, stretching out his legs enjoying the luxury of first class leg space. He turned up the volume on his mp3-player, and his own voice blasted in his ears. _Lay, Lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed... _He was working on picking out numbers for his first solo album, and was still in doubt as to whether this Bob Dylan cover was to be on it. It reminded him of his loneliness, it made him sad, and yet, or maybe because of this, it had turned out perfectly.

The fairly attractive, blonde flight attendant who had flirted with him earlier came back, and asked him to fasten his seatbelt. They were starting their descent over Hartford, and while doing as she had asked; he followed her retreating figure with his eyes. _If only... _The thought shot through his mind. He hadn't had a relationship for ages, and he wasn't one for one night stands. It just seemed that the girls he met weren't able to spike his interest, and instead, he buried himself in his work. For a while he had considered to use the 'I'm a rock musician'-line on her, but he had thought better of it. He just wasn't that guy. Smiling slightly, he couldn't help but think that if he had been more like Zach, he probably would have been that guy. The plane bumped as it hit the concrete. He decided to forget his depressing thoughts, and instead he started to gather up his things.

"Nice to have met you" the blonde said as he passed her on the way out, and for a minute he tried to dare himself to ask for her phone number, but he decided not to, thinking that inevitably it would turn out disastrous anyway.

A chill ran through him as he left the plane, he had forgotten about the uncertainty of Connecticut weather, it was the downside of having lived in California for too long, and he was only wearing a t-shirt. In California his jeans and t-shirt had almost been too hot, but here it was too cold. His eyes quickly skimmed over the surroundings, flat earth covered with greenish-brown grass. Despite of it being late June, spring didn't even seem to have reached this place yet.

Shivering as hell, he quickly entered the airport building, found his guitar and suitcase, and then started looking for Zach or Lane. He scanned the room, but didn't see any of them and frowned. He hated airports, and was normally out of them as fast as possible, but it seemed like he had to be in this one for a while. He moaned and was about to drop himself on one of the insanely uncomfortable plastic chairs, when someone tapped him on the back, and engulfed him in a huge bear hug as he turned around. For a second he feared that he was either being mugged by a very friendly crook, or was on some kind of hidden camera, but then he recognized Zach.

"Hey man" Zach released him from the hug and he almost lost his balance "How was the trip?"

"Fine," Dave steadied himself by leaning on his guitar case "I just hate flying!"

Zach shot him a loopy smile.

"I know what you mean," he picked up Dave's suitcase "I'll never get used to it either"

Dave smiled back. Zach turned, and walked towards the exit, and Dave followed him. They left the airport building, and walk over the parking lot towards a dark blue truck. Zack was talking, but Dave wasn't really listening. As soon as they had left the building, it had been like walking into a wall of memories, things that he had been trying to forget. Zach lifted his suitcase up onto the trunk, and Dave shook off the memories.

"How's Lane?" he muttered when they had both gotten into the truck.

"She's totally not rock'n'roll," Zack uttered in a high-pitched voice "I mean she's completely freaking out. This morning she went on and on about the flowers not being the right color. Apparently they were shocking pink instead of magenta or something," they drove out of the parking lot "for crying out loud, do you even know what magenta is?"

It was clearly a rhetorical question, but Dave couldn't help himself.

"Darker shade of pink, I think" he said, and shrugged as Zach shot him a weird look.

"When did you turn gay on me?" Zach was still staring.

Dave shrugged again "I'm an Art minor, remember?"

Zach just kept staring at him.

"Watch the road, you idiot" he mumbled, and swatted Zach on the arm.

"HEY," Zach turned his attention back to the road "I'm driving here"

Dave leaned in and turned on the car stereo, The Clash blasted out of the speakers, and Dave leaned back, obviously not intending to say anymore for a while. Zach smiled, and turned back to the road. He knew that it was hard for his friend to be back, and wanted to give him some space.

Looking at the far too well known trees and hills outside the car window, Dave's thoughts traveled back to this same road, three years ago, and the empty expression on his father's face on that last drive. It had been late summer, and green and yellow light had flown through the windows of the car, bathing his fathers face and making him look sick. His mother had died five days ago; her cancer had been diagnosed ten months earlier, and from the start everybody realized that she would not survive, except for his dad who wouldn't accept it. Even after she died he wouldn't accept it. He had driven Dave back to the airport two days after the funeral; they had spent two days together alone, and in complete silence. The silence had also lasted all the way to the airport.

His father never went back to normal after that, and only six months later he died too. He had just lost the will to live. The doctors said that they didn't know what killed him, but Dave knew that his mother's death had broken his heart. Sometimes he hated his dad for having left him, for not having cared enough to stay. Dave's dad had been almost 20 years older than his mother, and after her death he had faded away. That trip to the airport had been the last time Dave saw him alive.

Dave shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead distractedly and looked at Zach. He was drumming with his fingers on the wheel, and humming along with 'This is Radio Clash'. Dave smiled, and Zach send him a sideward glare.

"Hit on me, and I'll tell Lane" he said, his voice laced with laughter.

"Shut it" Dave glowered "Or I'll tell Lane!"

"Wimp!"

"Coward!"

They looked at each other and laughed loudly, both glad that the mood had been lightened. Dave relaxed visibly, and Zach smiled.

"So," he cleared his throat "how's life been treating you lately?"

Dave grinned at the question, he knew that what Zach really wanted to know was how Dave's band, 'Enigma' was doing. He and Zach had a bit of a contest going on, both wanting their bands to be most successful. Until now they had been pretty equal, they both got a contract ('Enigma' got it first), they both released an album ('Hep Alien' won that one), and they both went on a tour (humorously enough on the same time). Now Zach was fishing for information. For a second he considered telling Zach about his solo-album, but he thought better of it. It would be more fun as a surprise.

"Not too shabby" he felt like he was lying, and decided to tell the truth. "I'm lonely"

Zach looked surprised, not having expected a so honest answer. He took a second to collect himself, and then he gently pushed his friends shoulder.

"What about the groupies?" he wasn't completely serious, and Dave was aware of that.

"I don't want groupies, I'm sick of fucking groupies. I just want what you have, you and Lane-" he felt Zach stiffen a bit at the words, but he quickly relaxed again. He knew that Zach still sometimes felt insecure about Lane, and that he hated being reminded of her past relationship with Dave. Zach sometimes felt threatened by Dave, but they both did what they could to ignore it, knowing that there was no reason for him to feel so. "I want to meet somebody, date that somebody, fall in love with that somebody, get married, have children, all that Jazz!" Dave rambled on.

"Jazz… Yeah, that's exactly what that is. Overrated. Get tied down, make compromises, have arguments about stupid color schemes, be woken by screaming at four in the morning?" Zach smiled "That's so not rock'n'roll!"

Dave couldn't help but laugh.

"I kind of like Jazz" he mentioned, and earned another disbelieving look from Zach. "A lot actually" he added.

Zach huffed, and Dave went back to staring out the window. It seemed that the closer they got to Stars Hollow, the warmer it got, and the more the season seemed to fit with the actual date. He couldn't help but see it as some kind of sign, it had been too long since he had been home, and he knew it. Zach's voice tore him out of his thoughts again.

"We're here!" he sing-songed just as Dave noticed the sign.

'Stars Hollow' it said in bold blue letters, letters that reminded him of a time where everything was easier, where life wasn't as hard to figure out, and where choices wasn't so finite and important. The parts of his teenage years that he had been spending in Stars Hollow had been some of his happiest ever.

"Mama Kim couldn't wait to see you" Dave send him a glare, and Zach shrugged "It's true, she loves you, and she absolutely hates me. Uh, and Rory was pretty exited too. She said that she hardly remember what you look like anymore."

They drove up in front of the Kim-house, and Dave got out of the car. Looking up to the house, he saw Lane coming towards him, bouncing happily down through the front garden. He was half expecting it, but was still surprised as the short Korean girl threw herself into his arms. Lane was as happy and bubbly as ever, and bounced up and down in his arms a couple of times before she let go. She looked at him, first with a worried searching look in her eyes, and then when she didn't discover any resentment, with pure joy. Zach walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You've grown fond of hugging lately huh?" Dave mumbled.

"Yes," Zach gleamed, completely ignoring the sarcasm in Dave's voice, he let go of Lane to enwrap both of them in another hug "it's called being optimistic, you should try it once, it would suit you to loose that borderline personality disorder you seem to have evolved"

Dave just frowned.

"Come on!" Lane tugged on his arm "Mama's been dying to see you"

Surprised, Dave stared at Zach who just gave him his "Told you so"-look. Dave felt his face try to frown up again, but fought it. He hated acting like a child, and right now he felt like one. Lane tugged on his arm again, and drew him towards the porch. Not fighting her, he reproachfully followed her. Picking up Dave's baggage Zach followed them.

His eyes traveled up to the porch. A middle-aged lady, Mrs. Kim had to be around 60 now, and a little girl of about 9 years was sitting up there. As they approached them another woman came out of the house with a glass of ice tea in her hand. Mrs. Kim got up from the couch and walked over to the stairs, meeting Dave and Lane there. She looked older, but as stern as always, and held her hand out for him to shake it. He accepted it, and the middle-aged woman actually smiled.

"Nice to see you Dave," she said, and then she glowered at Zach and barked at him "What are you standing there for! Carry Dave's bags up to his room instead!"

Zach send him a saying look on his way towards the door, and getting the little girl to help him opening the door, he disappeared inside. Lane was tugging on Dave's arm again and forced him to turn around. The other woman was now standing in front of him, and he felt how his heart took a roller coaster ride from his chest down into his stomach and back up again. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place her right away, until he noticed the pen that was holding up her hair in a loose bun at the back of her head. That pen combined with her shiny sapphire blue eyes made him give her a bright smile.

"Rory Gilmore!" he said and they shook hands.

"I didn't think you'd remember me," she smiled "Being a big rock star and all"

Dave fiddled with the hem of his shirt, feeling completely stupid. Actually he hadn't felt like that since he had a crush on Lilly McGregor, a girl from his 8th grade chemistry class. And just now, he had realized how much Rory reminded him of Lilly. They both had the same big, shiny eyes, long soft hair, and luscious, glossy lips. They didn't look alike though; Lilly had been blond and green-eyed unlike Rory. He felt so ridiculous in that moment, but she didn't seem to notice. She turned to Lane, and started talking.

"So, I have to go Sweetie," she put the glass down on the railing "Mum just called, her and Luke are going out, so I have to watch the twins"

The girls hugged each other and Rory took the small girl, who had come back out along with Zach, by the hand. As they reached the sidewalk Rory turned halfway round.

"We're going past the newsstand on the way home… Should we check if they figured it out yet?"

Lane smiled broadly.

"Sure, but they won't have," she shot Zach a glare "Unless someone hasn't been able to keep his mouth shut!"

Rory laughed, and then looked straight at Dave who was a little more than confused.

"Bye, Dave" her smile shot right into his abdomen, and his heart made that loopy motion again "I'll see you around"

He could only nod slightly, and watched her as she turned again, and with the little girl by the hand crossed the street. He only noticed that Lane was talking to him after Rory had disappeared from his view. He turned back to her with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry?"

Zach looked at him with a smirk lurking in the corner of his mouth. Dave got the overwhelming urge to stick his tongue out at him, but Lane was looking at him so he controlled himself. She repeated what she had said to him before, and this time he listened.

"We're trying to keep the wedding a secret. We don't want reporters all over the place, Stars Hollow is a weird enough place without them"

Zach muttered something to himself, and Lane gave him a sharp glare.

"What was that?" her voice was shrill enough to compete with her mothers.

Zach looked pretty thrown, but somehow Dave's presence seemed to encourage his little attempt into civil disobedience. He looked carefully at Lane, who was frowning at him, and then at Dave.

"It's stupid! It's not like we have to tell them where the wedding is held, but we're famous! Our wedding should be in the news; we can't disappoint our fans like that. And it's not like we couldn't use the publicity…"

As her glare became fiercer, his voice lost its volume and Zach looked more and more insecure. The last sentence came out almost as a whisper. For what felt like a couple of minutes there was complete silence, and then volcano-Lane erupted in a massive explosion of smoke, fire and brimstone.

"Publicity! Publicity? Is that what our wedding is to you? Publicity? Disappointing our fans… as if you care about our fans, all you care about is fucking publicity…"

As she said the f-word Mrs. Kim's eyes widened, and her sharp voice rang through their ears.

"Lane!"

But for once in her life Lane didn't seem to notice, she just kept on rambling.

"Do you even care what I want? Do you? I want a small, quiet wedding, and all you care about is that you aren't going to be noticed by the press. The press, for Gods sake… as if it is that important."

"Lane!" this time Mrs. Kim's voice was louder, and angrier, and Lane immediately fell silent.

"Now you two behave yourself," she barked at both Lane and Zach "I'm sure Dave will like to go see his room and get settled in, so why don't you show him?" she said to Zach.

The boys quickly left the porch, not wanting to get permanently hearing impaired when Mrs. Kim started telling Lane of for having taken the Lords name in vein.

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_What not to do the day before a wedding…_

He woke up the next morning pretty sure that he had heard some kind of noise, but his sleepy brain couldn't process where it came from. He rolled over on the other side in the gigantic, brass bed, and banged the pillow a couple of times to make it more comfortable. Just as he had closed his eyes, he heard a sound again, and he let out an irritated groan. Jumping out of bed he wondered where it was coming from, and then he heard it again, the sound of stone on glass, or more exactly, pebbles hitting his window. He walked over to the window and opened it to see Rory standing outside, leaned comfortably against the apple tree in the back garden. She looked like a fairy, taken straight out of some strange tale of monsters and princes, dragons and princesses. And she would be fit for any prince. The sky above her was as deep a blue as her eyes, and the fair pink apple blossoms that had started to fall of the tree was the exact same shade as her simple, light, triple-layered summer dress. There was an aura of sunshine around her

"God morning," she smiled sweetly at him "I trust you slept well?"

His sleepy brain only managed to get his head to nod, and he smiled back at her after having given a great yawn. She smiled wider.

"Need coffee?"

Just the idea of coffee perked him up, and it was obvious. His head jerked up and she grinned even wider.

"Coffee'd be good" he mumbled, and tried to suppress yet another yawn.

"Good, then get down here, because this is stupid! I feel like a bad parody of a teenage-boy with a crush on the girl next door, but Lane asked me to entertain you while her and Zach are getting fitted, and I was trying to avoid Mrs. Kim… I don't seem to be her favorite person, every time I'm near; she looks at Lane and Zach, then at me, and shakes her head. I think she thinks that I'm a bad influence on her little girl, or for some reason responsible for the whole marriage-thing."

His heart had started racing when he saw her standing below his window, and her remark about feeling like a teenager seemed to fit far too well, although he would have preferred a character change, he didn't much care for the fact that she had just called him a girl. He smiled at the woman outside his window.

"Lane is 25, she can hardly be described as a little girl anymore, and despite Zach being a bit of an indecisive ass, I think that he'd have proposed even if you weren't around…" he mumbled and her laughter ran through the morning silence in the garden.

"You wouldn't think so, wouldn't you? But you know Mrs. Kim…"

Not feeling that it was necessary to clarify the meaning of that, she went silent, and they just looked at each other for a while. Finally he grew uncomfortable under her gaze, and started moving.

"I'll be right down!" he said, and began retreating back into the room, but her voice stopped him.

"Okay, but you might want to take a shirt on first. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy the view, but if you want to keep your strange popularity with Mrs. Kim, you'd better not stick half your naked body out of her window. But that's just my opinion." After his desperate look down over his body, she sniggered widely.

He felt how blood flew to his cheeks, and reddened them, but he tried desperately to ignore it. Instead he raced back into his room, and desperately tried to fight of his embarrassment.

He heard her call out his name quietly, and moved back to the window, trying to hide most of his naked self behind the curtain. She was still standing leaned against the tree, looking like every moment she might spread out thin, sun covered, fairy wings and fly away.

"I'm going to go out onto the street to wait for you, like I said, I don't seem to be in Mrs. Kim's good graces lately"

She disappeared without another word, and as if she really had flown away, she seemed to turn into thin air.

He quickly got into a pair of jeans, and reached for the closest t-shirt that he drew then over his head. There was a mirror on the wall across from the bed, and he walked over in front of it to check his hair. As soon as he saw his own reflection in the mirror he cursed loudly. On the middle of his chest, the t-shirt sported a giant print with the name 'Hep Alien' and Zach's face smirking to him in the mirror. It was yet another one of their little competitions. When 'Enigma' made their first t-shirts Dave send one to Zach, who swore that he would never wear a shirt with Dave on it to save his life. Like everything else, it became a competition between them. It became a bet. If Dave could get Zach to wear the t-shirt, he would keep it on for the rest of the day. Dave kept trying, and finally tricked him into it. He send Zach a t-shirt for his birthday, and a note saying that it was from the last Pink Floyd concert to have ever been played. Knowing Lane, she would force Zach to read the note before unwrapping the gift, and knowing Zach, he would be wearing the t-shirt ten seconds later. When Dave talked to them later, Zach was wearing the t-shirt, and he was angry as hell. The couple's web cam showed him sitting angrily behind Lane, and that day for once she was doing the talking. Now he had Zach's face on a humongous print on his chest, and he felt like cursing loudly. Instead he sucked it up, and sighed. He'd just have to wear the shirt.

He left his room quietly and snuck down the stairs, trying not to notify Mrs. Kim of his departure from the house. She had been far too friendly to him last night, and it had seemed unnatural. It had also looked like she had done it mostly to piss of Zach, and show her disappointment that Lane was marrying him. Dave managed to sneak out of the door without Mrs. Kim noticing, but that was only because she was with a customer, and he thanked God that she was.

Outside he jogged out of the yard and onto the street, while scanning his closest surroundings for a sign of her. She seemed to have gone completely, until he saw her standing under another tree located in front of the neighbor's garden. He slowly walked towards her, taking her in with his eyes, and enjoying the view. She was long limbed, and the dress was made of some thin material, which despite of the many layers gave one the illusion that it was a little see-through and was hugging her body, just right. Her feet were stuck into a couple of flat, light brown leather flip-flops. She was looking just like back then, as if she hadn't aged a day, she even had braided hair adding to her youthful appearance.

When he reached her, he noticed that a soft smile was playing across her lips, a 'Mona-Lisa' sort of a smile. Erie, wise and impossible to read. She reached out for his hand, and her small paw slipped into his, making his own feel huge and clumsy. They went down the street in silence at first, but after a few minutes he felt the pressing need to say something, to keep himself from getting swallowed up into some fairytale-land and be lost for ever.

"So… Do you still live here?" his words sounded far too loud in the before so outspoken silence.

She shook her head before answering him, and looked at him, which made him realize that she was shorter than he remembered, as she had to look up at him.

"No. I moved to New York, but it's not a long trip so I go down here every once in a while. To see my mom, and the kids."

"Lane told me that they finally got married." He said smiling back down at her.

"Mom and Luke?" he nodded "Yes, they did. And finally is the right word, it took them far too long!"

He smiled at her serious tone.

"And what do you do now?" his smile was lopsided "Living the dream at The Times?"

She laughed a bit, seeming to be lost in her own little world of wonders, and then she shook her head.

"No, it turned out to be the wrong dream for me after all. I did it for a while, but it was nothing like I expected."

She loosened her grip on his hand and pushed some hair behind her ear, and his hand felt cold and lost after not having hers in it anymore. A chill ran through his body, covering him with goose bumps. Even the sunshine couldn't warm him up after the loss of her closeness.

"That world was far too… cruel." She seemed to search for the words "I own a book store now, and I even published a book myself."

"That's strange," he mumbled "I always thought that would suit you better. Writing books, not articles."

She smiled, and looked up at him again. Her eyes were glittering in the soft morning light.

"Yeah," it came out as a sigh "some dreams just have to come true in order for you to realize that they aren't dreams anymore."

She sounded a bit disillusioned, as an old woman, trying to justify her life choices to someone younger and not as wise. She clearly wasn't sad that she wasn't a journalist; it was more the fact that she wasted too much time dreaming about it. He lifted his arm up to rest on her shoulders, and tugged her into him a little. It was a comforting gesture, and she relaxed under his touch. They stood there for a couple of moments, in a comfortable silence, as if they had kept in touch all these years, and weren't practically strangers. After a while she moved, and lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.

"I still need that cup of coffee!" she said and he smiled.

"I thought I was the one who needed coffee?" he mumbled.

She shrugged.

"That was just my excuse."

They strolled towards Luke's, slowly and still in a comfortable silence. He noticed that she had changed since he had known her. She was calmer, more collected, and like always around women he felt attracted to he became nervous. She was quiet until they reached Luke's, where they walked in and claimed two of the chairs at the counter. Unlike what he had normally been used to Luke wasn't behind the counter; instead Caesar was smiling to them, while he flipped a couple of eggs. He came out of the kitchen, and put two huge coffee mugs in front of them. He looked at Rory with a warning look.

"You won't tell him?"

Dave looked at them, a confused expression spreading on his face. They looked like a couple of conspirators, having a secret no one were allowed to know about. Rory leaned closer to Caesar, and she smiled winningly at him.

"Cross my heart," she drew an invisible X over her chest "would I ever betray my coffee-bringer?"

Caesar disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Rory to turn her attention back to Dave. She noticed his confused laugh, and let out a small laugh.

"We must look like some sort of secret society, all 'Don't talk about Fight Club'-ish?"

He nodded, smiling at her ancient reference. She was the type who would never forget something like a good movie line. She smiled back at him, guessing what he was thinking.

"I know, it's about time I renew my material." He gave up trying to hide his laugh, and when he was done she continued. "Anyway, it because Luke has made it a punishable crime to serve either me or my mum coffee without him being here. He seems to think that since they got married every cup should be accompanied by a moral sermon."

She emptied half the cup, and he couldn't help but think that maybe Luke wasn't all that wrong. He lifted his own cup, and allowed the hot, bitter liquid to run down his throat. Immediately he felt the refreshing force of the caffeine, and exhaled in a heavy sigh. He felt lifted up over the sleep that still had a small grip on him before. Rory was sitting on his left, and he looked over at her when he reopened his eyes. She was staring into space with dreamy eyes, and the look on her face made his stomach flop. She looked just like he did himself when he got inspired, when the need to write a song became too great. And when she grabbed a napkin from the dispenser on the counter and a pen from near the cash register, he new that he had been right. She started scribbling with ferocious speed and a passionate look on her face. Deciding that she didn't need him to disturb her, he turned on his chair a little and looked through the window out on the town. He could see people he had once known rush past the diner, and for a while he just enjoyed his people watching, until he noticed that she was no longer writing but instead looking at him.

"Do you miss it?" her voice was low, and he barely heard her over the hustle and bustle of the diner patrons.

"Miss what?" he pretended not to understand, but she just shot him an overbearing glance "If you mean the town, then no." He thought about it for a while, and then added, "I think I miss being young… you know like when we met."

She smiled her mesmerizing smile again, and he couldn't help but focus on the stray hair that hovered just above her left eye and regularly got caught in her eyelashes, so that it danced along with her fluttering lids.

"Do you miss Lane?" she asked, her eyes glued to the cup in front of her.

He shook his head.

"No, I miss being young… and I miss my parents."

She had lifted the cup, and with small movements of her wrist she created tiny swirls in the coffee. Her eyes were following them, 'round and around, never resting in one place for even a second. He knew that Lane had probably told her about his parents, and was waiting for some kind of response from her, but none came. She kept swirling her cup, seemingly amazed with the form it made in the coffee. He looked into his own cup, and after a while he lifted it to his lips, draining the last drops of his coffee. Next to him she did the same, and slipped off of her chair. He followed her out of the diner and down the street, not knowing exactly where they were going. She walked through the streets in the way that shows familiarity, the trademark of a native. He was following her in a much less confident way, his eyes darting from one thing to the other, feeling like a tourist. He finally realized where they were going, when they got to the small park near the old Independence Inn, were the pond and the small bridge was located. She walked out onto the bridge and kicked of her sandals before she sat down. Her feet were hanging into the water and she gently moved her legs back and forth. He sat down next to her and they silently sat there for several minutes before anyone said anything. Finally she sighed.

"I miss it too..." She smiled at his perplexed expression "being young. Despite what we thought back then, it was all a lot easier, wasn't it?"

He nodded, not being able to disagree with her on that. It had been easier, despite of his parents, girls, and high school in general. The last couple of years had been hard on him, the death of his parents, trying to make it in the music business, and the final loss of Lane as she now was getting married. He was happy for her and Zach, it wasn't that… The problem was that he had this feeling that he would never find anybody. Lane had been a sort of last solution, if he couldn't make it with her, he couldn't make it with anyone. He shook his head in thought, and looked over at her. Again she had a dreamy expression on her face. He moved his hand a little, to get better support for his body as he leaned back, and it brushed against hers. His touch shook her out of her dream world, and she smiled at him.

"You know, sometimes I feel like I'm never going to be really, truly, happy" she looked a little sad, and looked out over the pond "I'm lonely in New York"

He leaned in, and traced a finger slowly down the curve of her jawbone. Her skin was soft to the touch, like a ripe peach, and slightly downy. He noticed how his finger tingled from the contact and how her eyes fluttered closed for a second, before she pulled away. She stood up and absent-mindedly tried to smoothen her dress, before she bent down and picked up her sandals.

"We'd better get back," she mumbled "they must be done by now."

She walked of the bridge without waiting for him, and followed the path through the park without looking back. He jumped to his feet, and half-ran to catch up with her before she exited the park. He reached her side, grabbing her arm loosely, but still firmly enough to stop her. He spun her around to face him, and grabbed both her hands.

"Am I completely wrong when I say I felt something between us?" he inquired, but he got no answer, she only looked into the ground.

There was silence between them for what seemed like forever, until he drew her forwards into his arms and slowly closed the space between them. Her breath landed hot on his face before their lips met, and he closed his eyes at the contact. Her lips were soft and opened willingly as his tongue traced her bottom lip. She seemed to melt into his arms as he deepened the kiss, and she whimpered softly. Her noise encouraged him and he moved his hand from her waist up to her back. The movement ripped her out of her static state, and she tore loose of his grip. She looked at him for a second before she turned and ran out of the park, leaving him standing there, looking after her dumbfounded. He watched her as she tore over the street, running away from him, and he had no idea what he had done wrong. He had definitely felt something between them, and he was so sure that she had too. He sighed heavily, and absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair. He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared between two houses. His arms hanging heavily down his sides, he turned and walked towards Mrs. Kim's house, hoping that Rory wouldn't freak too badly. However remembering how she used to be, he highly doubted it.

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_How to survive a wedding without wanting to kill yourself…_

"Do I look okay?"

Zach was standing in front of the full-length mirror, nervously straightening his necktie and simultaneously trying to manage his hair. Dave on the other hand was sitting in a recliner, with an unfazed expression. He felt less than comfortable in his black suit and cream waistcoat, but at least neither of them was magenta. He smiled at that thought at the exact moment that Zach turned to look at him.

"Hey man. Smiling at my misery? That's so not cool!" he whined.

Dave just smiled wider.

"Misery? Yeah, sure. You're in about as much misery as kid in a candy store." he replied

"That's not how that saying goes," Zach grumbled as his eyes drifted back to his reflection "it's something like…"

His voice faded as his face turned thoughtful. Dave just smiled, and got up from his seat. He walked over to his old friend, and slapped him reassuringly on the shoulder.

"Never mind about that. The point is that you're not miserable, and you damn well know that! Just answer me this: Is there anywhere in the world that you'd rather be today?"

He caught Zach's eye in the mirror and by the softened expression on his face; he knew exactly what the answer was going to be. However Zach remembered exactly how un-cool fluff really was, and with a cheeky glance at Dave he muttered back.

"Well, maybe if Cream were to have a concert somewhere…"

Dave smiled and slapped him on the arm, giving him a glare.

"Not likely. Anyway, maybe you should remember that I have no problem retelling our conversations to Lane." He said thoughtfully.

Zach send him a reassuring smile back, and turned to face him. Looking over his friend's appearance, checking for stray hairs and wrinkles, Dave couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. He had never in his wildest dreams expected Zach to be the first of then to get married, especially since he himself was the one who had always wanted to get married and have a family, and Zach had never voiced the same dreams.

"So, spill," Zach said, breaking him out of his trail of thought "what happened yesterday?"

Putting on his innocent face, he pretended to be confused.

"Happened? With what?" He tried not to look guilty as he felt, but Zach just shot him one of his rare insightful looks.

"Don't play with me. You're no good at it anyway." He frowned "Just tell me, why was Rory acting like a woman possessed when she came by yesterday?"

"Since you're suddenly so smart I expected that you'd have that all figured out by now?" he shot back.

"I might," he said, not trying very hard to disguise the fact that he was lying "maybe I just want to hear it from you."

Despite the fact that he knew it might be stupid, and that he wasn't sure Zach would keep his big yap closed, he really needed someone to talk too. He needed to tell someone how he hadn't been able to sleep right all night because thoughts of his ex-girlfriends best friend were running through his head. Dave wasn't normally one to loose sleep over girls, but all night he had been tossing and turning, unable to forget the feeling of her lips touching his. He dropped back into the recliner and looked up at his friend with a tired expression.

"I think I did something stupid yesterday," he broke of and ran his hand through his hair "she was doing the whole entertaining me thing like you ordered her," at that comment Zach frowned, but Dave didn't allow him to interrupt "she took me to Luke's, and we walked through the town, just talking. I felt more comfortable than I have for ages. And, ehh…"

Zach made an impatient movement with his hands.

"Promise you won't tell Lane?" he begged and Zach nodded "I, ehh… I sort of kissed her"

For a second Zach looked like he was going to drop his chin on the floor. He didn't look angry, or surprised, or any of the things that Dave had expected. Actually he looked a bit amused. Dave blinked, just to be sure that his sleep-deprived brain wasn't playing tricks on him, but no, Zach really looked amused. That was until his expression suddenly changed to disappointment.

"Shit!"

"What?" Dave asked worriedly.

"That means I owe Brian 50 bucks!"

Dave shook his head in confusion, and then realization suddenly dawned on him.

"You made bets on us?"

"Well, yeah…" Zach had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed. "He was sure something would happen with the two of you. You know being at a wedding and all… And he said something about the two of you having ascendants in the same house or some shit like that. He's gone completely nuts with stuff like that kind of garbage. His new girlfriend reads palms for a living or some shit like that, would you believe it."

On that note he ended his rambling and for a couple of seconds there was complete silence between them.

"So, you mean to say that you don't mind?" Dave stuttered "Not Lane either?"

Zach's smile broadened and he let out a light chuckle.

"Hell no… She even put a 100 on you two making out before the wedding is over!"

At Dave's surprised look his chuckle grew into a full-blown fit of laughter, leaving Dave still feeling and looking confused and rattled. Two minutes later that was how the minister found them, when he came to tell them that it was time for the service. Looking at Zach while he tried to dry laughter-tears from his eyes, the minister smiled.

"Well, well, well…" he said, "it's nice to finally see a groom who doesn't look like he's going to his own funeral. Normally they all look like your friend over there!"

Zach managed to calm down somewhat, and to get both himself and Dave to their places in the church. The bells started chiming, and to the sound of Billy Idol singing 'White Wedding' the doors opened, and Rory was the first one to enter. True to their childhood promises, Lane hadn't chosen a normal horror of a bridesmaids-dress for her. Instead she was wearing a slinky, lavender dress made of silk that came to an end on the middle of her shins, and flared out a little from her hips down. Her hair hang loose around her face in soft curls, and instead of jewelry, all she wore was a few pinkish flowers in her hair and a small bouquet of the same flowers in her hands. Dave knew that he was supposed to look at the bride, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She tried to avoid his gaze, but it seemed like they were drawn to each other. Throughout the whole service they were staring at each other, and before they knew it, it was all over. Following behind the bride and groom, he held out his arm for her to take, and when she did so, he drew her nearer to him.

"We need to talk," he mumbled to her.

Without giving her a single look, he could feel that she didn't seem to agree with him on that. She pulled away slightly, and the loss of contact made a shiver go through him. It was funny how she seemed to have that effect on him.

"No," she hissed, "I don't think we do."

As soon as they were out of the church she let go of his arm as if it was toxic, and walked away from him towards her mom and Luke, who were standing a bit away with her three siblings.

The young married couple had chosen to host a far from traditional reception, so the crowd of guests gathered around tables that was placed around the gazebo, after having raided the buffet. Dave bypassed the food, and went straight for the bar, where he ran into Brian and his current girlfriend who, as it turned out, wasn't a palm-reader but an astrologer. He noticed that the newlyweds, their parents and Rory was already seated at the table that was placed inside the gazebo, where Dave was also supposed to sit, but he didn't feel like joining them immediately. Instead he caught up with Brian and drowned a few mojitos. When he finally gathered up the courage to face her he brought a couple of drinks with him, placing one of then in front of her. She looked up at him with a strange smile that made his knees weak, but before he got a chance to say anything, Zach's voice sounded over the speakers that had been set up all over the square. Dave shot a short look up at the stage and realized that Lane, Zach, Brian and Gil had all gathered on the stage.

"Right listen up folks!" he practically yelled, earning an unpleasant look from Mrs. Kim "Like we have said, we would really appreciate if you would not make speeches and such… because that's really not very Rock'n'roll. However since this is my wedding, I get to do just as I please, and I would like to say a few words."

For a second his glance drifted to Lane's face, and both of them lit up in huge smiles.

"I would first and foremost like to thank Mrs. Kim," he smiled at his mother-in-law "for allowing me to marry Lane. I have no idea what I would have done if you hadn't given us your blessing. Secondly I have to thank my parents, for all the normal parenting stuff, I really love you guys. Last but nowhere least, I would like to thank Lane for making this the happiest day of my life. You agreeing to marry me was the greatest gift I've ever gotten, and with fear of sounding all sappy I have to say, that I love you more than life itself."

Smiling widely, Lane pulled him into a sweet kiss and the crowd around them cheered. Even Mrs. Kim had to dry away a stray tear as she clapped along with the rest of the crowd. Dave's eyes drifted back to Rory who was smiling while looking at the couple. She felt his gaze, and looked at him, but again he was interrupted just as he was about to talk to her. Zach and Lane had ended the kiss, and now Zach continued his little speech.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, as you may have heard we are going to play a few songs for you before I whisk my wife of to India for our honeymoon." At that point he shot Lane a suggestive look. "And as a special treat, we have an old friend and band member to play with us, so please give a big hand to Dave Rygalski!"

Sighing, and cursing himself for agreeing to do this, Dave shot Rory an apologetic look, and walked to the stage. He was greeted with clapping from the crowd that was gathered around the square and as he walked onto the stage Lane kissed his cheek and the guys slapped his back. Picking up his guitar, Dave walked over to join Zach by the microphone.

They played a set, while the guests danced, and then Lane and Rory disappeared together while Zach dragged him over to the bar. The whole situation seemed slightly suspect to Dave, but he decided not to make a point of it to Zach, who would just deny to having any part in anything remotely shady.

"Could we have two Tequila shooters?" Zach half yelled to the bartender, trying to be heard through the music that was now playing, a little too loud, from speakers placed around the square.

The bartender poured the shots, and Zach put one in front of Dave, before drowning his own. Studying the glass distractedly for a moment, Dave lifted it to his lips, and winced as it burned on it's way down through his throat. Despite the whole rock star cliché, he usually didn't drink much, he had already had plenty today, and anyway tequila shooters weren't his thing.

Zach smiled at his grimace.

"You haven't changed much, have you?" he muttered amused.

"Guess you haven't either!" Dave countered as a new shooter appered in front of him.

"Weelll…" Zach dragged the word out to last forever "I'm just helping an old friend."

He must have looked confused, because after a look at his face Zach sniggered.

"I'm trying to drink away some of those inhibitions you insist on carrying around."

The words made Dave choke on his third shooter. Zach banged his back as he tried not to cough up both his lungs. Annoyed he moved out of Zach's reach.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked when he finally had his breathing under control, and when Zach laughed again he scoffed angrily. "What!?!"

"If you wanna get anywhere with Rory then…" Zach left the meaning hanging in the air between them.

Dave drowned yet another shooter, not even feeling any discomfort this time. He ran a hand through his already messy hair, and then he sighed.

"Nah, I'm done making a fool of myself."

Zach shook his head, but he didn't get a change to argue when Lane came up to them and took a firm grip on his sleeve. She tugged lightly on it until he looked down at her.

"We're leaving now. That is if you want to come…" Zach lit up in a smile, and expertly lifted her up in his arms, but before carrying her of, he looked at Dave again.

"You might want to reconsider… sometimes making a fool of yourself is the smartest thing to do," he seemed to consider his own words "and even though I never would've taken advice from me, maybe you should. Considering…"

He left the last remark hanging, like a bad odor in the air around Dave. Not explaining anything explicit, just implying, hinting at Dave's single-status, and his miserable state. He followed Zach and Lane to the car, where the rest of the party was waiting to see the couple off. Earlier, Brian, Gill, and himself had tied cans and tambourines in blue and red ribbons to the bumper. Zach carefully deposited Lane on the ground so that she could say her goodbyes, before hugging his parents, shaking hands with Mrs. Kim and giving Rory, who had appered again, a slightly awkward hug.

After having hugged Rory, her mother and Zach's parents Lane turned to him. She had removed her veil, and looked at him with a huge smile, before she wrapped her arms around him.

"Just go for it!" she whispered quietly in his ear.

Before he could react, she was already gone again, and had joined Zach in the car. All he could do was look after them as they slowly drove of, Lane still hanging out of the window, waving at them. He sighed again, something he seemed to have done a lot of lately, and slowly he started walking towards Mrs. Kim's house, not caring that the party continued behind him. He went straight to his room and started packing his bag. He had intended on going to see his parents' grave and stay a few days in Stars Hollow, but now he no longer felt like it. He was going to call the airline early in the morning and get his ticket changed.

When he was done packing, he turned of the light, and threw himself on his back on the bed, having only shed his jacket. He lay there, quietly, listening to the noises Mrs. Kim made when she came home. She moved around in the kitchen for a while, apparently talking to herself, before she walked upstairs and into her room. He could hear her bed squeak when she lied down in it and then the house turned quiet. There was not a single noise for a while, not until he heard a branch from the tree outside knock on his window. At least it sounded like a branch at first, but when it sounded again, he realized that it couldn't be. He looked up at the window, and saw that the moonlight framed a figure sitting outside the window. It knocked on the window again, and he jumped from the bed, and opened the window, somehow knowing whom he would find out there. And he was right.

Rory Gilmore was sitting in his window, shivering slightly from the cold, and looking at him with big shiny eyes. She looked at him, as if she didn't know exactly what to say, and instead of figuring it out, she leaned in and again he felt the amazing miracle that happened when her lips touched his. Her lips moved lightly on his as if she was searching for something to make her sure of herself, and what she was doing. He was so surprised in her actions that he didn't react to her until she started to withdraw from him. He could already see her trying to formulate an apology, and running away as soon as she had. That thought made him take a firm hold on her, and he drew her into the room. She ended up stumbling, rather ungraceful, in through the window and into his arms. He chuckled.

"You know, all day yesterday I had this idea that you weren't real… that you were some kind of fairy or nymph or something. Thank you for just proving me wrong."

She looked at him with a confused expression.

"So, I spoiled the fantasy?" she mumbled.

"No, you made it better." He kissed her softly on the nose "Now you're real."

He bowed his head and kissed her on her cheek, and he could feel how she melted into his body, and her hands that had been pressed to his chest when she stumbled into the room slowly traveled up and buried themselves in his hair. He drew her even closer into a hug, and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. He could hear her soft chuckle, and the sound made his stomach flop. From her hair came the scent of her, apples and cinnamon with just a hint of vanilla, and he inhaled greedily. Then he drew back. He looked at her with a bewildered expression.

"What happened?" he shook his head an elaborated "I mean why did you run away from me yesterday? Did I do something wrong? I mean, it couldn't be because I kissed you, because look at who's here now, kissing me."

She puckered her brows. For a minute she looked at him thoughtfully, and then she smiled widely.

"I have this tendency to run from things… problems, changes, things that overwhelm me, life in general I guess." Her smile was tired "I told my mom what happened yesterday, and she yelled at me. I'd expected that, only it wasn't for the reasons I thought it'd be. I thought she'd think that I was betraying Lane in someway, that's what I felt, but she didn't. She yelled on and on about how I was sabotaging myself and running away from what was supposed to be my life. She was really pissed. And then I realized what she meant, but I still felt bad about Lane but I couldn't figure out how to tell her. And then today I thought I'd blown it, I thought you wanted to tell me that it was all a mistake, and I really couldn't deal with that so that's why I blew you off. But then Lane came to talk to me, and somehow she knew. She told me to get a grip and go for it, she said that you never even looked at her the way she'd seen you look at me, and that I had to stop being such a coward and so afraid to get hurt. But then you left…"

That was where he decided to stop her incredible ramble, so he drew her closer again and let his lips find hers. He followed the curve of her upper lip with his tongue, while his hands found her hips. She opened her mouth and allowed him entrance, and he couldn't hold back a little groan as he felt her warm tongue of his. He kissed her passionately, loosing himself completely in her. Her hands trailed back down his chest, finding the buttons in his waistcoat, and attacking them ferociously. She managed to get them unbuttoned, and pushed it down his shoulders, forcing him to let go of her hips for a second. He groaned, and caught her again as quickly as possible.

Their lips detached for a moment as she searched for the top button in his shirt, and he took the opportunity to find the zipper in the back of her dress and pull it down. She had finished with his buttons, when he took a small step back to allow the silky dress to slide of her shoulders. The dress fell down her body, descending like a feather caught on a soft breeze. The dress pooled at her feet, and he let his gaze run over her exposed body. She was naked, besides from a pair of lacy, soft powder-colored panties. She gasped quietly as the draft from the still opened window hit her and he lifted her up, sheltering her from the cold with his arms. He moved back to the bed, and stretched her out on it, towering over her for a second to admire the vision of her stretched out on her back, lying across the big bed, that only hours ago had seemed to be the loneliest place on earth.

She held out her hand for him, gesturing for him to join her, and he kneeled before her, kissing the peachy-soft porcelain skin of her stomach. Slowly he made his way up her body, kissing his way from her navel over her breasts to her collarbone. He looked into her eyes, and he saw the need that he felt reflected in her eyes. He kissed her softly at first, but it turned fervent as he felt her hands go to work on his belt. It felt as if she had started a fire just south of his midriff, and he couldn't help but to think if she had any idea of what she was doing to him.

She let out a frustrated huff as she fumbled with his belt, unable to get it opened, and he slid off the bed. He quickly shred the rest of his clothing and removed her panties, before stretching out his body over hers once again. She sighed softly into his mouth as he kissed her, letting his hands travel over every square centimeter of exposed skin. He explored her body, touching every peak, stroking every valley, following every contour. She did the same to him, setting every particle of his skin on fire. He reached down between her legs, gently rubbing a thumb over her clit, and she moaned loudly.

"Ohh, God…" her lips parted and her tongue darted over her bottom lip. "Don't stop…"

He groaned at the sight of her pleasure, almost unable to believe that he was the one making her moan like that. He rubbed over her again, and again, before slowly letting his index finger slide into her. He could feel her contract on his finger, and he slowly moved it in and out a few times, before again letting his thumb rub over her.

"You're so beautiful…" he whispered quietly in her ear.

He moved his hand up to cover her mouth as he entered her, anticipating the small scream that she let out, and luckily stifling it. He moved in her slowly, afraid of going too fast, in case he wouldn't be able to hold, but she bucked into him forcing him to heighten his pace. He moaned loudly and trusted into her faster, still keeping his hand over her mouth to suppress her screams. Her body stiffened, and he felt her contracting on him, her whole body shaking. Her orgasm pushed him over the top too, and he desperately tried not to make too much noise, as he came in the most incredible explosion that he had ever experienced. He collapsed on top of her, and they clung to each other, both of them trying to catch their breath. It took him a few minutes before he was able to move again, and then he gently rolled them over, cradling her in his arms. He noticed that she was shaking.

"You cold?" he mumbled pulling the blankets over them.

"No," she shook her head and beamed at him.

"You're shivering." He informed her, tightening his hold on her.

"I know," she said, her smile saying it all "so are you."

He chuckled. He hadn't noticed it himself, but she was right, he was shaking jut as bad as her. He pulled he up slightly and kissed her nose.

"What are you doing to me?" he sighed, letting his hands run through her hair lifting up her caramel colored curls and letting them fall down over their faces, shutting out the last moonlight. Her eyes was closed and her breath heavy. She was close to sleep.

"Just loving you." She mumbled, her voice almost too low for him to hear.

"I love you too." He said quietly, closing his eyes, and allowing sleep to claim him.

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_How to live life to the fullest and stop running…_

It had been three days since the wedding. Dave had left Mrs. Kim's house, and had joined Rory at the Dragonfly. They had left from there early this morning, after saying goodbye to Luke, Lorelai and the kids. They were headed to New York in Rory's old Morris minor, Dave was going to stay there with her for as long as possible. He had spoken to the rest of the members of 'Enigma' yesterday, and they had agreed to consider a change of scenery, especially as they had already been offered a better contract with a label in New York.

Right now however, they weren't in the car. Rory was leaned against the driver's side door, and Dave was standing a dozen yards away from her, in front of two tombstones. He kneeled down, burying his hand in the grass on the grave, and closed his eyes for a second.

"Hi mom and dad," he mumbled slowly, trying to figure out what to say "I know it took me far too long to come here, but I was so angry at you for leaving me, I was so alone after that… but I forgive you now, and I hope you can forgive me." He looked back at Rory, who was smiling at him "I'm going to be okay now, I'm sure of that. And Dad, I think I understand you now. I love you."

He sat there quietly for a while, before he got up, and walked back to the car. Rory smiled at him as he walked up to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you feel better now," she whispered as she ran a hand through his hair, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm with you," he smiled "of cause I do."

He leaned down and kissed her, lifting her up from the ground, and spinning her around. He wasn't teasing her that was really how he felt, because how could anything be wrong as long as he was with her?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Hi, I'm uploading a sequel later today, so look out for it… It's called 'Dear Prudence', and will be snapshots from the 2½ years following this story…

Hope you like it…

Cheers…

**Update:** story is posted...


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